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Wetherspoons, Victoria Station

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user reviews of Wetherspoons, Victoria Station

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Fire alarm ringing for over a half an hour today, at about 2pm.

Totally ignored by staff.

Then rail personnel, police and fire brigade arrive simultaneously.

A sign outside now says - closed until further notice!
randolf7 - 25 Apr 2019 18:38
Considering where it is, this is a very pleasant place to have a pint or two whilst waiting for a train .
Aztecgoat - 10 Mar 2018 10:10
One of my fav. station pubs and a spoon''s too.
leon99 - 15 Aug 2017 17:10
The Wetherspoon on Victoria platforms is the best! Slerpy IS senile - and has never been in the Opera House, Tunbridge Wells. Or so many others..
randolf7 - 21 Jul 2017 22:05
The best 'spoons i've found other than the George Croydon,A decent range of ales,the service is rather random and none to speedy.
slerpy - 21 Jul 2017 19:00
Yes - a football match in London (or even numerous concerts/parades and exhibitions/royal events etc.) will affect Victoria pubs.

Commuters, shoppers, international travellers, tourists, residents - see to that. But this Wetherspoon is busy, well run and bright and airy.

And you can see the station train information boards - as well as having pub screens providing similar information on the Wetherspoon pub screens.

Toilets in the station are a nightmare - in terms of locations, turnstiles, cost etc.

But this Wetherspoon has a free/clean gents - just inside the main door. Used by many people who aren't customers.
wealdman - 10 Jan 2017 18:22
All the pubs in Victoria are jammed m8, all the time.
tradervic - 10 Jan 2017 14:13
Extremely busy at lunchtime on New Years Day, partly to do with Arsenal playing Crystal Palace I guess.

This was my 2nd visit within 2 weeks and each time there was a good range of ales available, my pint of Mordue’s Radgie Gadgie @ 4.8% was decent.

Still appears in the GBG so I’m sure they must be doing something right with the way they keep their ales and the choice.

Seats all always at a premium here but thankfully there’s seating and standing areas to the front & rear. A decent ‘spoons that has more friendly bar staff than at the Willow Walk just outside!
lezford - 10 Jan 2017 13:15
Not bad now, much improved since it had the refurb, had been looking very tired but looks more airy now with more seats.

Variable though in terms of what range of beer they have on and in terms of staff quality/service. Variable though, rather than necessarily bad, and it does it's job well enough for a station pub isn't bad.
mike_s - 26 Oct 2016 15:40
Busy but got served quickly. Prices good compared with the real world outside and a good selection of beers. Perfect place to wait for a train as you can see the departure boards from the pub.
Sussexcrawler - 26 Oct 2016 13:34
Dropped in for a few beers at 10pm on a Wednesday night after I’d been to Chelsea for football and it was still busy.

2 bar staff on who were quite slow and didn’t really know who to serve first then the manager appeared and he was very much on the ball.

6 hand pumps with 4 ales on, my choice of pints of Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop @ 5% were all very good and perfectly poured.

The interior has been re-vamped since my last visit and has a trendy kitchen look and feel to it. More seating has been added and the lighting is very good. They also seem to have removed a lot of the fruit machines that the pub used to have.

I was surprised to find that even though the pub shuts at midnight they were still serving food after 11pm, do you really want a Wetherspoon’s meal that late ? I guess the answer is yes as several plates of burger and chips and steak’s passed by me while I enjoyed my pints.

Convenient for all the platforms and in my opinion better than the ‘spoons outside the station.
lezford - 10 Oct 2015 11:46
Visited on the last day of the United States meets United Kingdom real ale festival (16-31 October 2013). 8 new ticks for me, could have had 2 more. Decent food, From the terrace you can watch the hustle and bustle of the station, while indulging in decent ales and pub grub at reasonable prices. Visited again April 2015, again decent beers and ditto food.
Sigmund - 14 Jun 2015 18:26
Slerpy (Steve) from Sanders - is geting old now. Tends to be a tad vague.

And NEVER speeds......


randolf7 - 19 Jan 2015 22:34
Speeding thru' London to get a train my connections connected better than I thought, not enough time for the Cask &Kitchen + walk, just enough for a pint here, my good fortune held a lovely pint of Brewster's Decadence, only draw back was footie fans from several different games converging, just time for a very swift half Of Elland 1812. Slightly dearer than most 'spoony outlets but well worth it.8/10.
slerpy - 19 Jan 2015 19:18
Very busy station bar, but the beer is always of good quality here. Probably not an ideal place to spend an evening but worth visiting if passing through the station.
Aztecgoat - 17 Jan 2015 09:53
After some years avoiding this Wetherspoons, I was very pleased to see that it has had a substantial makeover with much improved toilet facilities. The bar that was formerly about 12 inches wide and full of collection tins, baskets of inedible buns and various other junk has been cleared and considerably widened and the beer selection much enhanced. They even have ESB which must be a plus. The staff are uniformed and efficient and there are now a few small nooks and crannies where one can escape the throng. Best to go there before 4pm when the place starts rapidly filling up with the early crowd causing a jam at the bar. I never eat in pubs so I don't know about the food side of things but there were plenty of people ( mostly women) feeding their faces so the food must be reasonable. Unlike so many other Wetherspoon pubs, the clientele were respectable and well behaved.
For a station bar this is now quite an acceptable watering hole.
Padderborn - 11 Dec 2014 17:09
enjoyed a good pint of harviestoun old engine oil porter from the beer festival list.£3.30 is expensive for a wetherspoons,but still cheap for the area.good outside balcony to people watch and check train departure times.
hoppyal - 19 Oct 2014 11:57
If Wetherspoons launched a "Wetherspoon Metro" then this would be it! A cut down food menu with no steaks at all, for example. I tried the Doom Bar at £3.65.
alexw - 8 Jul 2014 11:03
Most expensive 'Spoons I've had the pleasure to drink in. The barman took surliness to an art form. Good range, decent tasting and perfectly fine to spend time while waiting for a train.
djw - 17 Apr 2013 00:05
Better than the other nearby 'Spoons (Willow Walk), especially if you sit outside on the balcony watching the travellers in the station concourse below. The modern bar also seems to have a better selection of beers than its neighbour, and the quality is fine. If the comments about the WC and interior are a guide, this bar can get too busy for proper maintenance and really there is no excuse for that.
Arctium_lappa - 24 Feb 2013 21:35
Popped in here whilst waiting for a train. An excellent choice of beer was on offer including Dark Star Expresso and Russian Winter, an imperial stout from Itchen Valley which was fantastic. A point to note when coming in the main entrance door is that there are many more beers on offer further into the pub i.e. by the doors onto the balcony on the 'Kent side' of the station. I didn't use the loos or have breakfast as per some of the previous contributors so can't comment there but as this site is called beer in the evening I thought it helpful to include a comment on beers...and it was the evening.
Steamer1 - 13 Jan 2013 10:37
Typical station venue, get's really busy as you would expect but it is fine to while away some time whilst waiting for your train.

Inside is a bit dingy but sitting outside right by the departure boards is fine.

One thing the management really need to sort out the toilets as they are disgusting. Yes they get very heavily used but they are a disgrace.
kevmac - 8 Jul 2012 13:26
Meeting place on victoria station.
Nice breakfast in here yesterday.
Set me up nicely for pride festival.
Service was slow,but it was busy.
More expensive than other spoons i go to.
rainbowian - 8 Jul 2012 13:07
Good pint on my visit but London spoons prices but hey you are where you are. Nothing against it, serves a purpose.
brianthelion - 1 Jul 2012 23:31
Busy pub because of its location. Stereotypical like most other pubs in the chain.
ng10 - 24 Jun 2012 10:07
I endured three consecutive dreadful pints here at �2.90 a go (in a Wetherspoon's??? I thought they were supposed to be cheap?). They were all far too cold and flat. The venue itself has no soul and looks more like a sushi restaurant than a pub. Really not worth bothering with. You would be better off buying a can of Kestrel off the buffet car.
BitterShurn - 16 Jun 2011 22:52
Opens early and probably your best option for a pre-train pint. My pint of Orkney Corncrake was drinkable if not on top form. It's a pretty uninspiring space on top of the WH Smiths but if you sit on one of the tables outside you can scan the departure boards for your train's platform.
anonymous - 17 Apr 2011 10:58
I would only use this if your train is late. Good prices for a station pub but that's all that's going for it.
No Ruddles so settled for IPA which certainly wasn't the best I've had.
Handy for checking the train times though.
zapsincl - 4 Feb 2011 18:48
I met up with a friend here a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised, as I don't usually frequent Wetherspoons pubs. Guiness was good, The Stella was good too and food was okay too. If you are a smoker then it's a pain in the arse having to walk miles for a cigarette, luckily I've given up.
Overall a good pub within a station and for Victoria too. Well priced also. I will return.
thaiscubadiver - 24 Jun 2010 18:34
I usually drink the cider in this pub when I'm waiting for my train.

Tried the Stella last night and it was simply outstanding. One of the finest pints I've ever had.

The other good thing about this pub (as you can see from the picture) is it's got quite a unique people watching balcony overlooking the main concourse.

Staff have always been excellent on my visits.

3.3 rating is very harsh.
Pat_Bateman - 18 May 2010 11:59
Good choice on offer for the Beer Festival on Friday. Friendly staff.
Roberttherailway - 10 Apr 2010 11:43
Yes, it's a Wetherspoons boozer and, yes, it's on a railway station but surprisingly this is not that bad a place. OK, I wouldn't make a beeline for it if I wanted a few quiet drinks in Victoria. But when South Eastern are playing silly b*****s with the timetables and you need to kill half an hour it will do. The great thing about it is that however busy the place is the staff behind the bar have absolute recall of who is where in the queue and you don't get bumped off by some ego-tripper wanting to be first. Downside, the old trade of Glass Clearer has disappeared from our pubs and the tables can be covered to overflowing with everybody else's remains.
guayabera - 22 Jan 2010 16:08
Wierdly enough - this sells the best pint of lager in victoria and the cheapest bottle of chablis (�18!!) TUBORG is cheap, cold and fizzy. Glasses are clean. Staff are pleasant unlike the rest of the pubs in victoria (bag o', Stage Door, Duke, Shakespeare etc etc) and there is enough staff for a friday to not wait 3 hours! toilets are scary. tables are clean. i've been in alot lot worse! and most of them in Victoria!
Didi - 17 Nov 2009 14:01
Cheap and your in a busy station mmm there is another turning right outside the station however if trapped by travel plans will do.

W'spoons after all, cheap ding ding menu and toilets checked on the hour with a little person with an illedgible squiggle depite there being a big steaming Richard the 3rd lurking in the depths in trap3. You can perhaps buy a chewable toothbrush or register online in the loo for some American gambling poker site, I mean who does that in a pub toilet? I'll clean my minging mouth, register with online Poker maybe apply for a post here too?
steviewonder - 16 Nov 2009 15:43
It's a Wetherspoons. It's a station pub. You should know what to expect. That said, it is rather better than the current rating of 3.3 would have you believe. It has a good selection of real ale, and whilst the atmosphere and crowding leave much to be desired, you can usually get a breather out on one of the terraces.
rpadam - 6 Oct 2009 00:44
Standard Spoons. Apart from the usual they had Caledonian 80 Shilling and Butcombe Bitter which was unspectacular. Ok for a quick pint.
GuideDogSaint - 16 Sep 2009 20:02
I have been using this pub since the first week it opened about 20 years ago and it has definitely deteriorated during that time. I use it because there is no infantile pop music blaring out making conversation unecessarily difficult.
However, the presence of football yobs dujring major matches means that the police have had to be called in on more than one occasion because of drunkenness and disorderly behaviour. I can't comment on the food because I never eat there but the toilets are a disgrace. The bar staff come from every corner of the world and the staff turnover, with the exception of about four members, has become increasingly noticeable.
There is a long outside balcony but the idiotic over loud announcements on travel information and constant security advice about left luggage, make normal conversation difficult. However, despite the fact that tha pub doesn't close until midnight, people sitting ouside are told to go inside at ten O'clock when they start stacking the chairs away.I can't imagine any bar in Paris doing the same. All in all it is just about Ok for a quick drink but the less than welcoming management has caused me to finally give up on the place.

Padderborn - 17 Jul 2009 18:37
There were five ales on in here during my visit, which is to be expected in a Wetherspoons pub. I found the staff to be very clinical with not a hint of emotion, even more so than usual.

By the time I had made it up the escalator I could have probably walked across the road from the station and gone to a much better pub so there�s not really much excuse for me to drink here again.
Strongers - 26 May 2009 11:33
Jesus! �3.30 for a pint of Stella in a Wetherspoons! Its not a captive market on Victoria as there are 2 other pubs. I thought spoons were meant to be cheap? Obviously those days are gone - think I can find better places to drink as this is nothing special, and the escalators haven't worked for the last 2 months.
Toilets overflowing, and had to stand in a lake, of pee. Won't be back.
lobster56 - 9 May 2009 19:24
Pretty ordinary to be honest. Bitter normally ok until they do their real ale festivals and take off all the standard beers to make space for stuff flavoured with chocolate, coffee or plums. If I want to drink dodgy beer I'll go to a proper beer festival. At this place I just want a decent pint while I'm waiting for a train. Sometimes I get it!
turbohorsebox - 30 Nov 2008 21:02
This place is OK. Always busy, but clean and tidy. Average score.
SilkTork - 9 Oct 2008 21:09
We've only ever stopped here for coffee - does that tell you anything?
The toilets remind me of something that Houdini tried to escape from , although I can vouch that I got out more quickly !!!!!! It's an experience - you tend to appreciate your own local so much more after you've been in here.
peterwarlock - 5 Oct 2008 11:56
convenient and serves beer and thats it.
Kentbeerboys - 24 May 2008 08:21
The toilets are so small its difficult to get in the cubicles! Eventfull pub, service at the bar is not great but never a dull moment in there.
runninghampster - 7 Apr 2008 18:23
Wetherspoons on Victoria Station was as busy and as noisy as ever, but the Itchen Valley Hampshire Rose was on top form, and only �2.39 a pint. Also available was White Horse White Giant, Greene King, and (from Ireland) Wexford St Patricks. No-one expects a quiet country pub at one of the busiest railway stations in the world, and it is very satisfying to find an outlet of real ale to enjoy before the cut-and-thrust of ploughing through commuters!
fellwalker - 16 Mar 2008 12:19
Well its a Wetherspoons and in a station so that should give you some clue as to what this hole is like

Offers the single adnvantage of drinking with a view of the departure schedules but the totally soulless atmosphere, sticky carpets, lax bar staff and offensive toilets more than compensate.

Drink in here if you are desperate and waiting for a train but you really are better off buying a couple of tins in the Whistlestop and drinking them on the train
murgatroyd - 24 Feb 2008 20:32
Occasionally stop here early evening if waiting for a train, it being the only place to get a pint of real ale in the station (I think). It is always busy and in a bit of a state. The staff could be quicker and seem unmotivated and unknowledgeable. The beers are usually OK but nothing to write home about. The toilets are a complete mess. The best thing is to buy your beer and go out onto the terrace outside and watch the masses scurrying home. a place for when you are despaerate and no more.
Brewshed - 24 Jan 2008 11:07
Had the misforune to have breakfast in here.It was absolutely awful. Sausages look liked they hadn't been cooked and the rest was greasy.If they can't get a decent chef don't bother serving food.Agree with previous posting, staff don't care and the place is messy.Unfortunately Wetherspoons are fast getting a reputation for grotty pubs, Come on Tim Martin get your act together, restablish the company as place people want to go, good service,good food and staff that care
beercritic - 2 Sep 2007 06:52
What a dump. They have had a refurb that does make it look nicer. The toilets are still tiny and used by every man and his dog, still stink of Urine. The bar still smells of sick and is not any better arranged. Staff are miserable and always under staffed. Tables always messy and never cleaned quickly. Always drunken customers being served. I only go in here if my train is delayed. Avoid like the plague!
winkster - 7 Jul 2007 01:33
ok a quick for a quick one...staff a tad slow though...good for people watching from the balcony
icedragon72 - 3 May 2007 16:07
been here a few times normally on the way home or whilst waiting for someone , typical station boozer, but this is a weatherspoons so expect what u will , i thought it was gona be a shit pit and it was , this was a friday night i may add , but visited a last saturday daytime and wasnt bad , same as all weathers i guess a bit hit n miss
mrs romfordir didnt like it on a friday night as was packed of idiots

romfordir - 16 Mar 2007 12:57
Like all Wetherspoon's pubs, has gone to the dogs in the past few years. Mucky, smoky and small to the point of being claustrophobic. I would recommend sitting outside it for amusement purposes though - watching the alcoholic sad husbands putting off going home to the wife is entertainment. Otherwise if you need a drink, you're better off going to the offy and having a can on the train home.
Get_me_some_Old_Tom - 19 Feb 2007 13:55
Actually one of the better Wetherspoon pubs (which isn't saying much). And dead convenient for the train. Not all station pubs are soulless though (see comment by Jimmythefish) - The Bishop & the Bear at Paddington is a very good one.
hotrods - 9 Feb 2007 07:06
This pub has a neon sign.
Say no more!
Alright for a quick pint if you're gasping for one and have a train to catch in 10 minutes, because you couldn't be any closer to the platforms, and you can people watch for a bit, but I've said it before and I'll say it again - pubs in train stations are all the same (soulless). 4/10 purely for the convenience factor.
jimmythefish - 18 Jan 2007 17:44
Nor brilliant, but you can usually get a decent pint at a reasonable price. Often best to get a table on the balcony to avoid the usual crush inside.
rpadam - 17 Jan 2007 22:16
Affordable and as mentioned not a place to go and enkoy a quiet drink,but there again Victoria station is not known for its quietness.

Food reasonably priced and beer too.

As always there is the "caberet" by the token drunken scot who will engage you in conversation andthe ask you for �2 for "a DRANK"...

Best avoid when football fans are returning though..
hoagy - 26 Oct 2006 14:37
It is in a railway station so you hardly expect people taking their time over a pleasant pint but they do real ale and a good deal on double Jamisons and occasionally you get some characters staging through (one evening the place seemed inexplicably full of gorgeous women and I'm sure it wasn't just the beer goggles).
These places do count as pubs, according to the CAMRA definition, as they're open to the public. That this one is also open to leftovers-swilling tramps (love that story!) is neither here nor there.
beeronaut - 18 Oct 2006 08:34
Typical Weatherspoon really - floor was sticky, not enough bar staff. The toilets were like a broom cupboard - not enough room for more than 2 people at a time.

But then if you want a quick drink while you wait for your train, or a goo few drinks while your train is severely delayed then its convenient and cheap.
Jo984 - 28 Sep 2006 10:21
..why are they always so understaffed??? Surely they must realise by now the place gets packed to the ceiling and at certain times they shut one of the bars. I find it can be dirty and unwelcoming. One evening a few weeks back I wanted a glass of Chardonnay, they only seemed to have the house white (fetzer, ugh, utter crap) and when i was umming as to what to have, the guy behind was tutting and getting impatient..appalling!! I noticed one of their fridges was out too, been like that for a while, maybe they can't afford an engineer! On the other hand if you are desperate for a reasonably priced drink before you get on your train home then it's just about OK, I used to use it regularly a few years ago, but seems to have gone a bit downhill. Also, I have noticed that the Weatherspoons in central London are more expensive then outside London. A round there a week, glass of Villa Maria and a bottle of euro beer came to over �7, so more like typical central london pub prices.
kiwimaj - 26 Sep 2006 12:33
A pub I use occasionally as it is, believe or not, preferable to JDW's other one across the road from the station. It goes from average to bad between Monday to Friday. I find that the only times to drink real ale were on a Monday or Tuesday evening whilst waiting for your train. As the week wears on the real ales run out particulary on Friday night when none are available. I think they are restricted by limited storage space.
wyndham - 20 Sep 2006 20:09
To echo fellow Charlton fan casual66 comments, I agree this boozer would be popular with football fans on the weekend. Casual66 is right in saying that on weeknights it's ideal for people stopping off after work, especially if your train is delayed/cancelled. Ideal meeting place also before drinking in the surrounding area if you're coming into Victoria by tube/train. Working in Victoria in the bitterly cold winter, I have come here to eat with a mate (Victoria Place is always busy at lunchtimes and you'll struggle to get a seat, even in KFC!!) and the food was both reasonably priced and fairly decent. For the above reasons, this boozer in one of London's busiest stations does a job. Other than that, it's rubbish.
Searching_for_H_Files - 14 Jul 2006 11:30
Yeh this isn't the best pub in the world, far from it in fact, but if you've had a long day on your way home from work, or if you've got a spare few minutes waiting for someone, then this serves its purpose adequately. Wouldn't go here for a session, but for a short period of time it's cheap and, well, maybe not cheerful, but you get what I mean.
man_of_kent - 10 Jul 2006 21:50
This is just your usual 'Spoons, except for the fact it's situated above a WHSmith in a train station. I suppose it's okay for a quick pint before you travel home, but there really isn�t any other reason to visit aside from that.
HTM69 - 6 Jun 2006 17:22
Well said Mr Davies !! The toilets are amongst the worst I've had the misfortune to encounter (with the exception of the Shakesphere over the road). As for taking your kids here - that sounds like a case for social services methinks.
WhoFlungDung - 23 May 2006 14:42
Clean toilets???? You are kidding? I fear to think what your idea of dirty ones is like!
nickdavies - 18 May 2006 10:49
I like this pub. It has balconies on both sides where you can see the destination boards and trains coming in. I avoid it at lunchtimes and evenings, but at weekends it is an OK pub; not too busy, a big range of beers and clean toilets. You can also take children there, which is a plus.
offramp - 16 May 2006 11:05
Wouldn't ever call this establishment a 'pub' - grotty hole perhaps. Beer (ok tepid fizzy stuff they serve here) not as cheap as some might suggest either !!
WhoFlungDung - 14 May 2006 16:06
Wetherspoon's pub + train station location is never going to be a recipe for a great pub, though this place manages to be even worse than you might expect. If you're having a quick pint while you wait for your train, it'll probably have left by the time you get served. Don't bother.
C.B - 11 May 2006 15:27
Look up the words JD Wetherspoons in a (picture) dictionary and you see a picture of a huge pile of shi*e.

However, this 'establishment', is one of the jewels in the JDW chain - a complete fuc*ing sh*t hole. Everywhere is sticky and dirty, the staff have no idea where they are - let alone have the first idea of how to pour a pint - my lager was flat and warm, the place smells and the toilets are a disgrace.

Apart from that I thought it was great !!

0/10 from me (which I think is generous to be honest)
WhoFlungDung - 7 May 2006 22:19
I once really offended a bar man here accidently to the extent he looked like he was about to cry. All I said was "can't get the staff" to the manager the barman served me the wrong drink, the manager replied "pay peanuts, get monkeys". Barman stormed off and we both had to apologise to him before he's return to his post. Then I realised I no longer had time for a drink at all and rushed off to get my train.

You can, er, people watch from here. Or something.
anonymous - 3 May 2006 11:25
I appreciate it's not the best pub I've ever been in but what exactly do people expect from a Wetherspoons in one of Britain's busiest train stations?

Standard Wetherspoons McPub - good for a cheap first drink / meeting point when starting a night out in London but not much else.
CLFINAL2005 - 3 May 2006 09:52
The only upward lifting comment on this absolute Pig-swill of a pub is the escalator that rises into it!, and when you arrive you so so wish that the stairs had a reverse button you could use to take you down to ground level again and return you to your senses!
Slap bang in the middle of Victoria Station with views of train indicators and the world below you would assume,"wrongly" that it would be a flagship for the Wetherspoons empire?, forget flagship and imagine the rubbish barges that punt up and down the Thames on a daily basis taking their rubbish to people that don't want it,and thats the similarity Wetherspoons at the station takes all its rubbish and dumps it onto us the customer!rubbish decor,rubbish hospitality,rubbish food.
It truly is a place to avoid, and don't let the perception of cheep booze draw you onto these moving stairs of total degradation and isolation, for the prices are no different than some of the more uplifting and friendly pubs in the area.
clapham - 4 Apr 2006 11:14
Going steadily downhill, getting really scruffy with clientele to match, allow half an hour even if you want a quick half, the service now really is shocking. The Worst Wetherspoon In The World is probably the one in West St in Brighton. This one will run it a close second if it gets any worse.
nickdavies - 31 Mar 2006 13:54
Staffed almost entirely by African men, who are very attentive if you are a laydee. Overpriced, as always in London, as if the surroundings alone merit whacking 50p on. Methinks not. Tiny, crammed ladies, grease yourself up if like moi you ain't anorexic. A fine start or end to a journey, or to avoid paying 20p to pee in the public lavs. Sit out on the balcony and watch the 'ants' below scurrying to their trains.
kutiepie6662003 - 18 Feb 2006 15:10
Well - You can see the Train Indicator Boards from the balcony - which is about the only thing this place has going for it to be honest.

Typical JDW 'pub' - no atmosphere - average staff, odd 'cheapscate' customers, very average beer (rather pay more for a decent pint).

It smells of sick and the floors, bars and furnishings are sticky.

In my view it's best avoided - unless your a skint alcoholic.
FattusBlokus - 5 Feb 2006 11:25
Football Fans on the weekend. On weeknights its for people stopping off after work. Good location and an ideal place for a drink if your train is delayed. The tables on the balcony are great
casual66 - 4 Jan 2006 15:51
The balcony is great to watch people rushing for trains and watching life go by in general...
This pub is a must for avid people watchers and letchers!!
easyco - 28 Dec 2005 09:17
For alcoholic businessmen, football hooligans and other detritus that washes in and out on a septic tide. Best avoided.
mikez - 13 Dec 2005 16:24
A lifeless pub, but useful for a cheap scoop on the way home.
SilkTork - 22 Sep 2005 19:58
Obviously handy location if waiting for a train...BUT, often has a rather strong smell of vomit! That and the sticky tables and floors make it not best in the area.
Dickster - 15 Sep 2005 20:54
This used to be a fairly good pub,but after many staff changes it has gone downhill.The service is dredfull, I know it's a railway station pub but the staff have to be prompted to serve you as they never seem to know who's next.The non smoking bar never seems to be open anymore making the main bar even more crowded.You go in there and ask for a pint of whatever only to be told that its "not on" despite the pump clip advertising the beer.The beer quality used to be good I suspect due to high turnover but the pint I had the other day was off! Oh dear.
Matt43 - 30 Jun 2005 13:22
Usually busy but otherwise an excellent source of usually well-kept ale if arriving or departing Victoria. Let's face it, not somewhere to spend the evening but a good meeting point, except you end up missing your train!
pangolin - 8 May 2005 15:55
Use the toilets here when you're drinking on the concourse at Reef - closer than Reef's own toilets, no pass-code required and you get an escalator up there so easier on the old legs.
shw500 - 9 Apr 2005 14:43
Don't knock it too much - for a station bar it OK - the beer ain't bad, you can while away your quick half watching everyone running for their trains and best of all you don't have to pay 20p for a pee. The service is, however, dreadful.
Nick - 25 Jul 2004 01:32
Been here a few times when meeting people randomly in Victoria. Nothing amazing about the place but really didn't think it was as depressing as the other comments on here make it out to be - it is a W'spoons after all, what were you expecting other than cheap beer??!!
Luke - 22 Jul 2004 14:34
possibly the coldest pub i've ever been in.
Duncan - 23 Dec 2003 09:33
Not great but not as bad as other comments suggest (in my experience) - at least the beer is quite cheap and there is a no smoking section!
Adrian - 10 Nov 2003 15:59
Handy for a swift drink, but linger longer than half an hour and you might loose the will to live. Depressing even for a station bar.

A friend tells me that the place had a �50,000 refurb a few years ago. I don't know how true that is but it looks as though they spent �5 on the decor and �49,995 on charm lessons for the staff.

You can never expect too much from a station pub, but this really is grim. Strictly last resort. Your better off taking Genes advice and use the offie, I always do now. The Tiny Threshers outside has more character.
Bob V - 4 Nov 2003 18:25
Have been in there a copule of times while waiting for a train, however the last time Iwent in there they eyed my suspiously at the bar, waited until I had finished my beer and then decided to ask me for ID...hmmmm? Hey Guys, I have already had my drink!
emma - 15 Oct 2003 11:40
This pub is an absolute classic. I still remember the stories of the tramps who used to hang around near the bottom of the escalator (up to the pub). Once the relevant train appeared on the main platform board, lots of commuters would have a swig of their pint and then leave the rest. Witness the fastest tramps in the world running up the escalator to drink the dregs/left over pints, before being thrown out.

Always thought the place stank of vomit, and on every occasion the staff were completely useless (i.e. they never knew who was next in turn, or they'd back away to collect glasses).

Horrible and rotten - probably the worst station bar after the one in Charing Cross.
anthony2 - 26 Sep 2003 02:02
The staff are generally wretched beyond belief. A couple of decent ones, but don't expect manners as standard. The balcony would be pleasant enough if the pidgeon shit was cleaned up. Only the very thirsty should use this establishment. Better off going to the "offie" and knocking 'em back on the train.
Gene - 11 Sep 2003 15:33
What a nasty little dump. Beer all over the floor and tables, and unemptied ashtrays everywhere. About as much atmosphere as outer space. Avoid this hole at all costs!
Ed - 7 Feb 2003 17:28
What can I say, has to be the most weird and boring pub in the world ever. Cant say I'm ever going back there as long as I'm drawing breath on this planet.
Paul - 7 Feb 2003 14:33
what a great pub....never had so much exitement in one place ever before...i'm going to make it my regular....brilliant staff and loads of weirdos singing new york
Adam - 7 Feb 2003 14:26
Dull as dishwater. Okay if you're waiting for train but you wouldn't want to hang out with friends there.
Alistair - 28 Nov 2002 15:05
Strictly for commuters who only have time for a very very swift half and can;t go anywhere else, otherwise AVOID! Shakespeare or Stage Door are far, far better.
Steve - 22 Nov 2002 17:17
Standing on the platforms at Victoria Station jotting down train numbers would be more interesting than a drink here. For a far better Victoria Station drinking experience, go up the escalator to Victoria Place shopping centre, up the escalator to the 1st floor of the shopping centre, turn left and in front of you is Molly O'Grady's. Far superior.
mike - 2 Sep 2002 00:11
These blasted pub retail chains have no atmosphere, it's just like sitting in a railway station. Haw, haw, haw...
Loz - 8 Aug 2002 20:22
You get to go up an escalator on the way in. That's nice.
Paul - 15 Jul 2002 10:44

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